Juergen, Your answer to Hans as Johannes is most like correct. As I had heard something of that before. It also explains who my great-great-grandfather Heinrich Johann was names in honor of. But Joachim or Jochim, is not the case in my family. My grandfather and many of his relatives were named Joachim in Germany and used Joseph after entering the U. S. I wondered how that matched up in translation, but so far no was has been able to tell me. But there it is Joachim on his baptism and Joseph on marriage and death certificates!! There are too many Heinrichs (Henrys) to count and I am still trying to find out who the original Heinrich was. With all the generations having one and sometimes many Heinrichs it appears to me that Henry was somebody special to them. Also how is Joachim pronounced in Germany? Thanks for the input, Dolly : )